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International EMF Project InternationalInternational EMFEMF ProjectProject 7th7th progressprogress reportreport InternationalInternational AdvisoryAdvisory CommitteeCommittee 6-76-7 JuneJune 20022002 Dr MH Repacholi Co-ordinator, Radiation and Environmental Health World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland RADIATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH Dr Michael Repacholi Intern Co-ordinator UV Radiation Unit Secretary Annette Nock Dr Eric Van Rongen Scientist EMF Radiation Studies Health Impact Assessment Secondment Dr Leeka Kheifets Dr Carlos Dora Team leader Scientist Dr Larry Goldstein Dr Gennadi Souchkevich Scientist EMF Scientist IR Dr Emilie Van Deventer Dr Istvan Turai Scientist EMF Medical Officer IR Dr Zhanat Carr Medical Officer IR Sarah Bullock Teija Katajainen Secretary Secretary 6 June 2002 InternationalInternational ManagementManagement AnAn InternationalInternational AdvisoryAdvisory CommitteeCommittee hashas beenbeen establishedestablished fromfrom representativesrepresentatives ofof thethe internationalinternational andand nationalnational collaboratingcollaborating agencies,agencies, andand WHOWHO collaboratingcollaborating institutions.institutions. InternationalInternational AdvisoryAdvisory CommitteeCommittee Terms of Reference ✦ Provide oversight on the conduct of the Project. ✦ Review Project outputs ✦ Provide a forum for a co-ordinated international response on the health concerns raised by exposure to EMFs. – Biological effects – Health issues – Use of precautionary measures – Standards RoleRole ofof WHOWHO staffstaff inin EMFEMF ProjectProject þFacilitate and implement the programme agreed by the International Advisory Committee þForm part of the non-voting secretariat at all meetings and expert groups þCompile minutes, fact sheets and reports of meetings published after comments by IAC and outside experts þGive presentations summarising the conclusions of WHO meetings or expert groups þEnsure compliance with WHO’s conflict of interest policies (Committee membership, funding, etc) WHO EMF Project IAC Risk perception International Environmental Information Standards and communication scientific reviews impact and training Seminars Health Status Reports Review of Review EMF Impacts Home Page/Fact Sheets and W/G Reviews Research Gaps World Standards on Environment in Multiple Languages All scientific reviews On web site end See www.who.int/emf completed WHO WHO Task Groups Research Develop Framework Task Groups Training Programmes Co-ordination for Standards - Internet User Friendly Handbook First draft framework ELF on web site and EHC Monograph Scientific research Regional meetings RF in 2003 Handbook published 2001 database Monograph in 2003? See www,who.int/emf Documents for WHO/IARC Task Group Reviews Environmental Impacts: and Health Risk Assessments EMF Management of Major Development IARC ELF completed Programme Projects WHO ELF 2002 Publication 2005 Conf. Proceedings IARC RF 2005? Scientific paper WHO RF 2006? WHO and Global EMF IARC Monographs Standard Framework IARC static/ELF completed National EMF Protection Programmes SCIENTIFIC REVIEWS Reviews of the scientific literature are conducted to: ÞProvide status report on possible health effects ÞIdentify gaps in knowledge that need further research leading to better health risk assessments Scientific reviews: ÞRF range (10 MHz-300 GHz), Munich, Germany (1996) ÞStatic and low frequencies (0-300 Hz) Bologna, Italy (1997) ÞPsychosocial impacts of EMF exposure in Graz, Austria (1998) ÞIntermediate frequencies (300 Hz-10 MHz) Maastricht, The Netherlands (1999) ÞEnvironmental impacts of EMF, Ismaning, Germany (1999) ÞRF pulse-modulated fields in Erice, Sicily, Italy (1999) ÞAdverse Temperature Levels in the Human Body, Geneva, March 2002 ÞEffects of EMF on children (being organized) ÞPrecautionary principle (being organized) ÞMechanisms (To be organized) Science updates given at regional meetings with Standards Harmonisation activity ScientificScientific JournalJournal PublicationsPublications ÖRepacholi MH, Cardis E (1997): Criteria for EMF Health Risk Assessment. Radiat Prot Dosim 72: 305-312 ÖMH Repacholi (ed) (1998) Low-Level Exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields: Health Effects and Research Needs. Bioelectromagnetics 19: 1-19 (1998) ÖMH Repacholi and B Greenebaum (eds) (1999) Interaction of Static and Extremely Low Frequency Electric and Magnetic Fields with Living Systems: Health Effects and Research Needs. Bioelectromagnetics 20: 133-160 ÖAF McKinlay and MH Repacholi (eds) (1999) Exposure metrics and dosimetry for EMF epidemiology. Radiation Protection Dosimetry 83(1-2), 194. ÖKH Foster, P Vecchia, MH Repacholi (2000) Science and the Precautionary Policy. Science 288: 979-981. ÖE Litvak, KR Foster and MH Repacholi (2002) Health and safety implications of exposure to electromagnetic fields in the frequency range 300 Hz to 10 MHz., Bioelectromagnetics 23(1) 68-82. ÖLS Goldstein, MW Dewhirst, MH Repacholi, and L Kheifets (2002) Summary, conclusions and recommendations: adverse temperature levels in the human body, International J. Hyperthermia, In Press ÖMW Dewhirst, ML Michiels, BL Viglianti, and MH Repacholi (2002) Carcinogenic effects of hyperthermia, International J. Hyperthermia, In Press ÖL. Kheifets, MH Repacholi, and R Saunders (2002) Thermal stress and radiation protection principles, International J. Hyperthermia, In Press ÖKR Foster, JM Osepchuk, and MH Repacholi, Environmental impacts of electromagnetic fields from major electrical technologies, Submitted to Environmental Health Perspectives 2002 EMFEMF ProjectProject WHOWHO FactFact SheetsSheets ✦ The International EMF Project. Fact Sheet #181, Oct 1997 ✦ Physical properties and effects on biological systems. Fact Sheet #182, Oct 1997 ✦ Health effects of radiofrequency fields. Fact Sheet #183, Oct 1997 ✦ Public perception of EMF risks. Fact Sheet #184, Oct 1997 ✦ Mobile telephones and their base stations. Fact Sheet #193, updated June 2000 ✦ Video display Units (VDUs) and human health. Fact Sheet #201, July 1998 ✦ Extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields. Fact Sheet #205, Nov 1998 ✦ Radars and Human Health. Fact Sheet #226, June 1999 ✦ Cautionary Policies (WHO Backgrounder), March 2000 ✦ ELF fields and cancer Fact Sheet #263, October 2001 ✦ Others for review during this meeting (Environmental( impacts of EMF, Hypersensitivity, Intermediate frequencies, Microwave ovens, RF overexposure, Results of Thermal workshop (to be drafted), Protection of the public (to await policy options meeting)….any others? On home page: http://www.who.int/emf/ in multiple languages RESEARCHRESEARCH CO-ORDINATIONCO-ORDINATION A research co-ordination committee meeting in Cape Town indicated that areas requiring further research: ➨Possible effects of EMF exposure (particularly RF) on children ➨Implication of the IARC classificationclassification ofof ELFELF magneticmagnetic fieldsfields as a 2B carcinogen WHO EMF research agenda being revised for web site ScheduleSchedule ofof healthhealth riskrisk assessmentsassessments 2001 IARC carcinogen identification and evaluation of static and ELF fields 2003 WHO/ICNIRP health risk assessment of static and ELF fields 2005 IARC carcinogen identification and evaluation of RF fields 2006-7 WHO/ICNIRP health risk assessment of RF fields WHO will incorporate IARC conclusions into WHO task group reviews of cancer and non-cancer risks and publishes them as WHO monographs. Anticipated all reports published by 2007 WHO/IARCWHO/IARC publicationspublications Non-ionizing radiation, Part 1: Static and extremely low-frequency (ELF) electric and magnetic fields, IARC Monographs 80, IARC Press: Lyon, (2002), pp 429. HarmonizationHarmonization ofof EMFEMF StandardsStandards Differences in the EMF limit values in standards in some countries are, in some cases, over 100 times This raises concerns about their safety and has led to public anxiety about increasing EMF exposures from the introduction of new technologies The purpose of this activity is to work towards international agreement on a framework for developing guidelines on protection of the public and workers from exposure to EMF StandardsStandards HarmonizationHarmonization MeetingsMeetings >> Xi'anXi'an,, ChinaChina 23-2623-26 OctoberOctober 2000.2000. >> SanSan Antonio,Antonio, TexasTexas 13-1413-14 NovemberNovember 20002000 >> Lima,Lima, PeruPeru 7-97-9 MarchMarch 20012001 >> BulgariaBulgaria 3030 AprilApril -- 44 MayMay 20012001 >> SouthSouth Korea,Korea, 22-2422-24 OctoberOctober 20012001 >> CapeCape Town,Town, SouthSouth Africa,Africa, 4-74-7 DecemberDecember 20012001 >> Moscow/StMoscow/St Petersburg,Petersburg, Russia,Russia, 17-2517-25 Sept.Sept. 20022002 >> GuilinGuilin,, GuangxiGuangxi,, ChinaChina 18-2218-22 AprilApril 20032003 >> InternationalInternational consensusconsensus meeting,meeting, Geneva,Geneva, latelate 20032003 EMFEMF riskrisk perception,perception, communicationcommunication andand managementmanagement Information gathered from international reviews in Vienna in 1997 and Ottawa in 1998. A summary report of the Ottawa meeting, entitled “EMF Risk Perception and Communication” by LM Brodsky, W Leiss, D Krewski and MH Repacholi has been completed and has been submitted for publication. A user-friendly handbook (Establishing a dialogue on risks from electromagnetic fields) has been completed and is being published Question: Do we need a monograph with greater detail on this topic? PressPress ReleasesReleases òWHO Launches New International Project to Assess Health Effects of Electric and Magnetic Fields. Press release
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